October 2, 2008

Okay, funny, and I understand the urge to push back against all the presentation of Sarah Palin as an idiot, but do we really want a game of who's the bigger idiot? Because: 1. Your VP might be a bigger idiot, and 2. Maybe the American people really ought to focus on the serious question of whether we want conservatives or liberals in power. Palin is conservative. Biden is liberal. Let them put their beliefs in front of the American people so we can vote on it. We're all turning into idiots if what we do is stare at the debate looking for one or the other to say the stupidest thing.

52 comments:

* 57 states* I never heard Rev Wright say anything racist or anti-American* "I don't think me calling House Republican members would have been that helpful, I tend not to be that persuasive on that side of the aisle,"

Palin is conservative. Biden is liberal. Let them put their beliefs in front of the American people so we can vote on it.

Jesus Christ Ann, that's exactly what conservatives have been begging for in these goddam debates and interviews. Instead we get "What's on your Ipod?" or "Tell the viewers in 10,000 words or less your legal analysis of Roe v. Wade."

I agree with Prof. Althouse. This kind of "gotcha" ad lowers the quality of political discourse (as, I would add, do ads claiming you're out of touch if you don't e-mail a bunch). The fundamental fact that could allow McCain to win this thing yet is that his opponent is,from every indication we have, the most radical leftist to ever have a legitimate shot at the Presidency. From Ayers to ACORN, everything about him before he began running for office (and had to tone things down)screams a level of radicalism that the vast bulk of Americans would reject. McCain had better get to THAT message in a hurry and drop this kind of ad that makes him look desperate.

I think it's churlish of people to keep making fun of the whole 'stand up chuck, let em see you' thing. It was an honest mistake, leave it alone.

Of course, I thought the FDR thing was hilarious.

Why might they play this video today? Maybe because people are going to be hyper focused on Palin looking for mistakes, and maybe this will lead them to give a little of the same attention to Biden? I don't know, that's all I can figure.

Biden is extremely popular, especially with his Democratic base, and has been around so lond, this kind of cheap shot will hae literally no effect on the Obama/Biden ticket.

Between McCain apparently losing his mind over the past few weeks (in interview after interview he gets angry and his responses are disjointed at best) and Palin's apparent lack of memory relating to Pakistan, newspapers, court cases, etc...I don't even think a home run in the debate tonight will save their McCain/Palin ticket.

And...

According to the Baltimore Sun, a new poll from the Pew Research Center has only 37% of pollsters say Palin is qualified to be president.

This is down from a 52% majority in favor of Palin in early September. Ironically, it is WOMEN who feel more likely in this poll that Palin is unqualified.

For Biden, the veteran senator from Delaware, the same poll has pollsters agreeing that he is more qualified to be president by a 3-1 margin.

If this were theatre, Biden--and McCain--would be the 'senex' characters. (Thing Falstaff.)

"The senex (old man)...either too strict or too soft... As the lover he embarrasses his son, his slave, and his wife...He never gets the girl and is often dragged off by his irate wife....He is often a miser..."

Who is Obama? "The miles gloriosus, literally braggart soldier, is a character that is especially familiar today. He loves himself more than anything else and sees himself as handsome and brave, while in reality he is very stupid, cowardly, and gullible."

Palin? Can't decide....

"The matrona (mother), mulier (woman), or uxor (wife) is shrewd. She loves her children, but is temperamental towards her husband. She does not have to be a devoted wife, but sometimes is....

The meretrix (prostitute) is either a mercenary or devoted...very attractive with a complex hairdo...."

"Palin is conservative. Biden is liberal. Let them put their beliefs in front of the American people so we can vote on it.

Hoosier: "Jesus Christ Ann, that's exactly what conservatives have been begging for in these goddam debates and interviews."

You actually think, at this stage of the game, after about 1,000 TV and Radio spots, 1,000's of articles, blog postings, etc...that Americans STILL are confused as to which one is a "conservative"...and which one is a "liberal"???

*And didn't McCain, just last week ail on Obama as being the most liberal of all??

Ann said...but do we really want a game of who's the bigger idiot? Because: 1. Your VP might be a bigger idiot, and 2. Maybe the American people really ought to focus on the serious question of whether we want conservatives or liberals in power. Palin is conservative. Biden is liberal

So the One (PBUH) and his PR operation (aka the MSM) attack Palin for 30 straight days painting her as an idiot. Now the McCain campaign produces an ad that paints Biden as an idiot and that is "unfair"?

Maybe the American people really ought to focus on the serious question of whether we want conservatives or liberals in power. Palin is conservative. Biden is liberal

Kind of a bad time to frame it as liberal vs. conservative.

Voters want the candidate that will best:

1. Improve our dismal economic and fiscal situation.2. End the corruption of our officials, the old "DC Way of Business"3. Keep us out of more wars.4. Help the middle class and people in need the best.5. Restore our standing globally.

Obama and McCain both have significant strengths and weaknesses in those areas. It comes at a time when the public is sick of doctrinaire disputes within the Dem and Republican Parties on who "loves the UN more", "empowers women the best" or who "hated abortion 1st".

They want someone who can do the job better than Dubya, and who has a decent backup as VP ready.

I don't think the voters want a return to 60s liberalism and affirmative action BINGO and the imperial judiciary - but they also don't want Government of by and for the Rich, supply side economics, unregulated markets, deficits don't matter believers, and "free trade even if it kills us" proponents.

Let the Parties work to fix their great flaws on their own time - just give us a leader who can lead.As things stand, I believe the public sees grave flaws with both Soros liberalism and fanatic "Reagan purity" on matters that would have barred even Reagan if he ran as either obsolete or "not conservative enough".

Neither Obama or McCain match up well against Hillary or Mitt Romney, IMO. Obama could be a slick black con artist, and McCain has been in DC nearly 30 years, betraying many, as he pursued his pet causes but never involved himself in the bigger causes other than pandering to various sides..

But the "wisdom of the voters" is that McCain and Obama are the best either party offers.

If voters in each Party had had a chance to choose VPs by a primary process, Palin might have won, but she might have also flamed out as "not ready for Primetime". I doubt Biden would have been selected by a Democrat vote.

But the VPs are just backups. Dan Quayle didn't hurt Bush's chances. Who the VP is is way down on voters reasons...

Jesus H. Christ, is it YET ANOTHER re-run of The Michael Show?! Dude, we get the point! Shut up already?

"Biden is extremely popular, especially with his Democratic base, and has been around so lond, this kind of cheap shot will hae literally no effect on the Obama/Biden ticket."

What planet are you on? Every Democrat I know rolls their eyes at the mention of Biden's name. If Biden was so popular with "his Democratic base" then why has he failed to be nominated as the Democratic Presidential candidate 1293 times? Democrats are tolerating him because he's a two-for-one deal when purchasing The Obamessiah

"I think it's churlish of people to keep making fun of the whole 'stand up chuck..."

And his racist remarks about people working in 7-11s, and his belief that FDR was president in 1929 and went on televison, which was not invented yet. His claim he is a hard coal miner when he does not even know what coal looks like; yep, we are churlish alright. I did not know that being churlish was the ability to know what an idiot is.

Who besides Eurocentric liberals and Nazis like you really cares about this? You know that the ONLY person who can "restore our standing globally" is The Obama. And he will restore our standing by dropping us to our knees and opening wide while the world pulls down its zipper.

I did not know our global standing was in such poor shape. I do not know of any foreign countries that boycott or refuse our aid or any other money, military assistence, or other forms of aid we send them. The welcome it with open arms.

When Obama wins I will get all the "Impeach Now" bumper stickers from the liberals here. Fair is fair, right? And given the fact that Rezko is singing, that could happen in short order. Then the commies can get used to "President Hairplugs".

Idiots? How about those who believe that having the same party in control the the white house, the Senate and the House will lead to efficient, effective government.

I think we already saw that with the first six years of the Bush Presidency.

Our system of government works well when neither party dominates the Executive and the Legislative branches. Give either party both and power corrupts. An Obama administration with a Dem controlled Congress will be just as much a disaster as it was with the GOP controlling it.

I don't see how that was racist. I mean its true. You walk in any 7-11 and the guy behind the counter has a name tag that has Patel or Sumbalaya. I think Biden is a straight up kind of guy who calls a spade a spade.

Biden's never been tested like this on the national stage. He's been in primary debates, but that was at what I like to cal the 'clown car' stage. The early debates are like a clown car, you expect 2, 3 people tops to pile out of a tiny car, but instead it's an endless stream of Kucinichs, Dodds, Gravels, Richardsons (and Bidens) before you get to the rea candidates who have more than a slim chance at winning.

I doubt he's ever had to debate for his Senate seat, given his life long tenure as a Senator from Delaware (years spent not Senator 30, years spent Senator so far, 35 years and counting).

So Palin has more experience in a debate where only a few candidates are in the fray.

But who cares, people don't really vote for VP anyway, and they're both constrained by the need to anticipate the position of the top of the ticket before taking any positions themselves.

Well I for one think Obama is going to be a terrific president and would make an even better overlord. As a matter of fact, I am sending this link to his campaign office so when he wins, he can use this as a blueprint to keep his administration safe from those who wish to do him harm.

Nobody bears a larger responsibility for this than John Stewart and the Faily Show. Their entire schtick is out-of-context clips, quotes, "gotchas," and relentless mocking of anything but 100% perfection all of the time, as they judge it of course.

Prediction for tomorrow: Faily Show boils down VP debate to only the most embarrassing out-of-context video clips and frame stills, ignoring all substance and content. Corollary: audience eats it up.

Hahahahaha! Now THAT is funny - and must be embarrassing. Did you mean to write that?

No, I don't want to know who is the bigger idiot - but I do want the press to REMEMBER the plagiarism, I want someone to point out that this is a buy who is supposed to bolster Obama's terrorist fighting credentials - HOW?!?

Dick Polman: It's a weird argument, in a way. None of us, if we required hospital surgery, would want to be operated on by a normal Joe six pack American, yet here are being asked to place a normal Joe Six-pack American within sight of the nuclear football.

Who besides Eurocentric liberals and Nazis like you really cares about this? You know that the ONLY person who can "restore our standing globally" is The Obama. And he will restore our standing by dropping us to our knees and opening wide while the world pulls down its zipper.

If you had served in the military rather than served in a restroom on your knees, Palladian, you would recognize the "Coalition of the Willing" is dead. You would understand that while Bush I got the rest of the world to pay for the Gulf War, our current despised government, despised well beyond Europe, means we took 95% of the casualties there and paid 95% of the costs so far.

And you neglect that not just Obama, but anyone other than Bush II, will upgrade our status globally. McCain is someone the Asians, Latins, and Euros can understand and work with - as long as he is seen as objective and not enthralled to Neocon agenda.

Not familiar with military logistics, vs. your pet causes, no doubt you are befuddled why NATO is allowed only one land route into Afghanistan and two air routes. All three are now threatened by Bush II Administration actions - when at one point we had full commitments for logistics from all Afghanistan's neighbors plus Russia.

As for your "Nazi" trope, Americans rightly recognize that that threat ended 65 years ago. While certain parties involvement with placing Communism, Zionism and Transnationalism above America's vital interests has persisted long, long after Berlin fell.

And calling any opponent of Communism, Zionism, Transnationalism - as Nazis or anti-semites - has worn thin as a debate-ending smear from both being stupid and overused.